Suction operated fan



March 18, 1941. f c. HORTON 2,235,763

I SUCTION QPERATED FAN Filed Dec. 9, 1935 V FiQi.

Patented Mar. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SUCTION OPERATED FAN Application December 9, 1935, Serial No. 53,624

16 Claims.

This invention relates to a motor for operating an air circulating fan and particularly to one adapted for use in circulating air in motor vehicles and adjacent windows thereof.

Fans of this general type have heretofore been devised, as for example, that disclosed in Patent No. 1,745,114, granted January 28, 1930 to John R. Oishei and Henry Hueber. In fans of this character, and similar accessory-like devices, the construction is of necessity light and simple so as to adapt it as an accessory for motor vehicles, In the fan referred to in the patcut above, a blade and rotor or drive are mounted as a unit in a rigid bearing support. Due

to their structural fabrication, fans of this general type have heretofore produced a chattering noise by reason of the play in the shaft bearing, among other contributing factors. Such chattering increased as wear in the bearing and shaft occurred, and obviously this became a source of annoyance to the motorist, as well as impaired the efficiency of the fan.

The present invention has for its object to provide a durable fan motor which is quiet and E15 efiicient in operation, as well as one wherein the construction facilitates production in large quantities at a minimum expense.

' The invention resides in the salient features of construction and their arrangements and com- 30 binations of parts as are hereinafter set forth and by which the motor shaft is given a selfadjusting and more or less floating support, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein 35 Fig. 1 is an axial section through the fan motor with'parts in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the fan housing or casing;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary and enlarged sec- 40 tional view through the impelling jet; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a modified embodiment of the invention.

In proceeding in accordance with the present invention and referring more particularly to the drawing, the motor therein illustrated, by way of example, is of the air orfluid operated type and comprises a housing I, a driving turbine wheel or rotor 2, a shaft 3, and a blade or propeller 4. The rotor may be fixed to one end 50 of the shaft and the propeller to its opposite end so that these three parts may rotate as a unit. Both the rotor and propeller may be stamped out of light metal, if desired, and one of these elements, preferably the propeller, may

55 be provided with a mounting hub 5 for detachable threaded engagement with the shaft 3 to facilitate the assembly of the fan parts, such engagement being secured by a set screw 6.

According to the present invention, the rotor propeller unit is given what might be termed a 5 floating support in the housing, so as to readily adjust and accommodate itself for most eihclent operation. To this end the housing I is provided with a journal box or chamber 1 through which 'the shaft extends for support intermediate the 10 propeller and rotor. One end of this chamber is provided with a transversely extending wall 8 that is formed with an opening 9 slightly larger than'the diameter of the shaft, so that the latter is free for restricted movement laterally with- 15 out chattering against the wall of the opening. The shaft is given self-adjusting and self-aligning journal support at one or more points within this chamber and, according to the present disclosure, such support is afforded by one or more 20 yieldable bearings.

In Fig. 1, the bearings H) are constructed of yieldable material, such as felt, and contain a quantity of lubricant for greatest efliciency.

Suchbearings III are constructed and designed to provide a substantial journal bearing for the shaft and are confined in place by ring-like retainers ll and 42, one or both of which may be free to slide in the chamber I. To properly support and confine these bearing blocks Ill, the

opposing or confining side faces of the retainers are oppositely sloped or inclined so that when pressed against the bearing blocks they will serve to urge the blocks inwardly toward the shaft and support the latter free of the retainers, as well as the wall of opening 9. The pressure may be applied automatically, such as by a spring I3, and where the shaft is supported at intervals by spaced bearing blocks so that more than one set of cooperating retainers is required, a single pressure applying spring may be compressed between the adjacent sets of retainers to serve in a dual capacity, as depicted in Fig. 1. The inner end of chamber 1 is shown provided with an inturned lip It to cooperate with the outer end wall 8 and the spring IS in securing thebearings and retainers in place. This construction affords the desired firmness of support for the shaft and at the same time provides a hearing which is self-aligning and self-adjusting. It further provides for self-lubrication by reason of the spring acting to compress the bearing felts or blocks.

In Fig. 4 the bearing blocks are composite in character and instead of being wholly compress- 5 "a more durable shaft engaging part. As shown,

the fibrous or felt part 30 surrounds an inner or liner part 3| which may be somewhat spherical and have firm support on the sloping or camming faces of the retainers 32 and 33. The outer retainer 33, in this embodiment of the invention, is combined with and forms a part of the end wall of the shaft chamber (part 8 of Fig. l). The spherical parts 3| of the bearings may be formed of graphite, bronze or porous bronze, and the encircling felt parts 30 supplied with a quantity of oil for properly lubricating the composite bearing. The inner retainers are urged outwardly by the common spring l3 and will compress the oil containing felts as permitted by the parts", 3|. 3

As lateral motion of theishaft occurs, these spherical parts will yield laterally between their retainers. To facilitate this lateral floating movement oft'he shaft the inner retainers 32 are preferably of less dlameter than the shaft chamber 1 so as to move readily with the spheripressible bearing ll, 3| is referred to as being spherical, this term is employed for ease of description and not by way of limitation, since other practical shapes may be given this part. This bearing not .only permits lateral movement of the shaft but it is self-aligning for better performance in operation and for greater ease in manufacture. Theparts 3|) and 3| may be integrally united, if desired, although for practical reasons-this is not necessary, and for ease in description the composite bearing is referred to as a bearing block or felt.

Fox-greatest efficiency and to'avoid unnecessary drain on the vehicle power plant, it is desired to operate the rotor by fluid pressure rather than electricity or mechanically, and as a convenient means for obtaining the required pressure differential the housing I may be connected through the .port IE to a source of suction or negative pressure, such as the intake manifold motor of the vehicle engine (not shown). The source of suction when open to the housing will place the rotor chamber I6 under a pres- "sure below atmospheric andthus induce an inflow of air from the outside through a jet oririce It and against the blades H of the rotor 2.

For safety. the propeller I may be-enclosed in a cage 22, which is supported by a ringd; that has threaded engagement with the housing I, as indicated in Fig. 1.. This mounting ring may have a lip 24 overhanging the endwall 8 and enclosing the sealing valve to limit its lateral play. Likewise, the inturned lip I will coact with a spacing disc 28 on the rotor end of the shaft 3 in restricting lateral play and against the shaft directly contacting the housing.

To avoid premature depletion of the lubricant supply from the bearing felts II by reason of air seepage through the latter, air ducts or passages l9 are provided to by-pass the air'about the bearings, so that any leakage of air around the shaft and through the opening 0 will have no extracting effect on the oil in the felts.

To further insure longevity to these bearings, means are provided to practically. close the opening 9 to passage of air therethrough. Accordingly, a sealing valve 20 in the form of a disc of leather or some other good sealing material is placed over the shaft between the hub 5 and the outer face of the end wall 8 for sealing the opening 9, the end wall serving as a seat for the valving leather disc. This sealing valve permits rotation of the shaft therein but moves laterally therewith and, therefore, it functions as a damp ener to any chattering tendency of the shaft.

If the rotating unit is unbalanced, or becomes unbalanced during operation through mechanical imperfection or through any reactionary effort of the propeller, so that the shaft tends to shift laterally in the opening 9, the sealing valve will likewise slide on its seat face of the wall 8 but nevertheless maintain a practical seal against the entrance of air. Since the under side of the valve is subjected to the low pressure maintaining in the rotor chamber, the outside atmosphere will serve to create a pressure differential and thereby hold the valve firmly on its seat. Because of this fluid pressure differential the valve will have a steadying influence on the shaft and frictionally brake or counteract any chattering tendency of the shaft against the wall of opening 9. The pressure differential acting on the sealing valve is supplemented by the reaction of the propeller 4, the hub 5 of which exerts a sealing pressure on the valve axially of the shaft. A wearing disc 2| of a relatively hard substance is superimposed upon the valve, and the hub i may be reduced in diameter for seating on the wearing disc to reduce the friction in the rotary en agement therewith. Should the shaft shift laterally in its floating mounting the friction of the valve on its seat, as provided by the fluid pressure differential, will retard rebound and thereby effectively dampen the tendency toward vibration.

The operation of the improved fan will be obvious from the foregoing. When the fan motor is started operating, the propeller will turn as a unit with the shaft and the driver 2. If through some unbalanced part, whether it be due to mechanical or operative reasons, the shaft moves laterally in its bearing, such shifting movement will be retarded by the sealing valve. Chatterlng noise will, therefore, be avoided and the fan rendered quiet in operation. Any air leaking through the chamber 1 will not pass through the bearing felts to withdraw the lubricant therefrom (the term felt being used herein as inclusive of like suitable materials for supporting the shaft in a self-adjusting manner), the air in its travel from opening 9 passing outwardly through the radial extensions I! of the by-pass IS.

.The floating or yield-ing lateral motion of the shaft, set up through vibration thereof, is effectlvely resisted by the braking action of the sealing valve, the latter being actuated as a brake by the fluid power supplied the fan motor. This insures a quiet operation for the fan.

It will be understood that the structure herein disclosed is merely illustrative of the inventive principles involved. which may be applied to other physical embodiments without departing .from the scope and spirit of the invention claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A housing provided with a shaft chamber and a fluid chamber adapted to be connected to a source of suction, a drive member in the fluid chamber, a shaft connected to the drive member and extending through the shaft chamber for supporting a propeller on the protruding end of the shaft member. and a lubriwntmntaming bearing block disposed within the shaft chamlid hit

assures her and constituting the sole support for the shaft, th housing being otherwise spaced from the shaft and provided with a fluid passage bypassing the bearing block in the shaft chamber whereby to forestall the extraction of lubricant from the bearing block by reason of fluid leakage along the shaft into the fluid chamber.

2. A motor having a housing provided with a rotor chamber and a shaft chamber, a. rotor disposed in the rotor chamber, a shaft in the shaft chamber and supporting the rotor, said rotor chamber having a passage for communication with a source of operating pressure for rotor operation, a porous lubricant holding bearing block in the shaft chamber supporting the shaft out of con-tact with the housing, means yieldably retaining the block in position, and an air passage establishing communication between portions of the housing at opposite sides of and about said bearing block to by-pass leakage fluid through the shaft chamber.

3. A fan motor having a housing provided with a rotor chamber and a shaft chamber, a rotor disposed in the rotor chamber, a shaft extending through the shaft chamber and supporting the rotor, a porous bearing block disposed within the shaft chamber and yielda'bly supporting the shaft, an air passag establishing communication between portions of the housing at opposite sides of and about said block, the housing being provided with a valve seat about the outer end of the shaft, and a valve sealing the clearonce between the shaft and the housing against air passage along the shaft into the shaft chamher and serving to restrain lateral motion of the shaft.

4. A fan motor having a. housing provided with a, rotor chamber and a shaft chamber, a rotor in the rotor chamber, a shaft extending through the shaft chamber and supporting th rotor, said rotor chamber having fluid communication for rotor operation, a. bearing block having a fibrous lubricant holding partd-isposed within the shaft chamber in contact with the shaft, an air bypass about the fibrous part, the housing being provided with a valve seat about the outer end of the shaft, and a valve closing the clearance between the shaft and the housing against air passage along the shaft, said shaft adapted, for limited axial movement during operation and having a part for bearing on the valve to urge it to its seat during such movement.

5. A motor having a housing provided with a motor chamber, a driver in the chamber, said housing having a shaft chamber, a shaft extending through the shaft chamber and supporting the driver on its inner end, the outer end of the shaft extending from the housing, spaced lubricant holding bearing blocks within the shaft chamber having engagement with the. shaft, a retainer member for each block slidable in the shaft chamber and serving to confine the'bearins blocks in position, resilient means interposed between the retaining members to hold the blocks in a normal shaft supporting position, said housing having a. passage leading from the motor chamber about the bearing blocksrfoc' by-passing any air which may enter the shaft chamber along the shaft, and a sealing valve for sealing the clearance between the housing and the shaft at its outer end.'

6. A fluid pressure motor having a. housing with a motor chamber and a, shaft bearing chamsaid chamber having a passage for con fraction to a source of operating pressure, a perous shaft bearing disposed in the shaft bearing chamber and having 2:. contained lubricant, a shaft jourualled inthe bearing, means in the motor chamber connected to the shaft and operable by fluid pressure for driving the shaft, and means communicating with the motor chamher at one side of the bearing and with the shaft at the opposite side of the bearing for lay-passing leakage fluid about said bearing to equalize the pressure on opposite sides of said bearing and thereby preclude fluid exhaustion of the con,- tained lubricant.

'7. A fan motor comprising a. housing having a drive chamber, a rotary shaft, means yieldably supporting the shaft in the housing to accommodate lateral vibration thereof dncidenta-l to rotation, a fluid pressure actuated means operable in the drive chamber and connected to the shaft for rotating the same, and means acting on the shaft and responsive to the fluid pressure supplied to said shaft rotating means for braking any vibrational motion of the shaft.

8. In combination, a housing provided with a shaft chamber and an adjacent fluid chamber in which the fluid pressure is different from the outside atmosphere, said fluid chamber having a. passage for connection to a source of oper ating pressure, a shaft extending through the shaft chamber into the fluid chamber, fluid pressure operated means in the fluid chamber connected to the shaft for operating the same, and a lubricant-containing bearing block disposed 'within the shaft chamber and constituting the sole support for the shaft, the housing being otherwise spaced from the shaft and provided with a fluid passage communicating with the fluid chamber and by -passing the bearing block in the shaft chamber whereby fluid leakage along the shaft will be directed away from the block to forestall the extraction of lubricant therefrom. 9. A bearing for a rotating shaft of a pressure operated motor, comprising a chamber in communication with a source of operating pressure at one side and open to the atmosphere at the opposite side, a shaft, 8. porouslubricant holding bearing block in the shaft chamber supporting the shaft out of contact with the housing, means yieldably retaining the block in position, and an air passage establishing communication between portions of the housing at opposite sides of and about said bearing block to by-pass leakage fluid through the shaft chamber around the block.

10. A hearing for a rotating shaft of a pressure operated motor, comprising a. chamber, a shaft, a porous bearing block disposed within the shaft chamber and yieldably supporting the shaft out of direct bearing contact with the chamber, an air passage establishing communication between portions of the chamber at opposite sides of and about said block, the chamber being provided with a valve seat about the outer end of the shaft, and a. valve sealing the clearonce between the shaft and the chamber against air passage along the shaft and strain lateral motion of the shaft.

11. A bearing for a rotating shaft of a pressure operated motor, comprising a chamber, a shaft, a bearing block having a fibrous lubricant holdserving to re- ,ing part disposed within the chamber in contact-with the shaft, an air by-pass about the fibrous part, the chamber being provided with a valve seat about the outer end of the shaft,"

and a valve closing the clearance between the shaft and the chamber against air passage along the shaft, said shaft adapted for limited axial movement during operation and having a part for bearing on the valve to urge it to its seat during such movement.

12. A fan comprising a housing having a drive chamber, a rotary shaft, means yieldably supporting the shaft in the housing to accommodate lateral vibration thereof incidental to rotation, a fluid pressure actuated means operable in the drive chamber and connected to the inner end of the shaft for rotating the same, a propeller on the opposite end of the shaft, and means responsive to the fluid pressure supplied to said shaft rotating means for braking any vibrational motion of the shaft.

.13. In a fan accessory construction for motor vehicles, a housing provided with a motor chamber and a shaft chamber, a rotary shaft in the shaft chamber, a drive member in the motor chamber fixed to one end of the shaft, a propeller fixed on the opposite end of the shaft, said propeller and drive member rotating with the shaft as a unit, and a laterally yieldable bearing member in the shaft chamber closely engaging the shaft and supporting the unit out of contact with the housing, said bearing providing the sole means of support for the unit in the housing whereby the unit will be cushioned during rotation thereof against contact with the walls of the shaft chamber due to any off balanced condition in the unit.

14. In a fan accessary construction for motor vehicles, a housing provided with a motor chamber and a shaft chamber, a rotary shaft in the shaft chamber, a drive member in the motor aassgres chamber fixed to one end of the shaft, a propeller fixed on the opposite end of the shaft, said propeller and drive member rotating with the shaft as a unit, a laterally yieldable bearing member in the shaft, chamber closely engaging the shaft and supporting the unit out of contact with the housing, said bearing member providing the sole means of support for the unit in the housing whereby the unit will be cushioned during rotation thereof against contact with the walls of the shaft chamber due to any off balanced condition in the unit, and. means acting on the bearing member to provide for self-ad- .justment of the same in the housing.

15. A fan having a shaft with a propeller on one end and a rotor on the opposite end, a chamber in which the rotor operates and through one wall of which the shaft projects, a yieldable bearing for the shaft permitting lateral vibration of the latter during operation, and means acting on the shaft and operable from the source of power for the rotor for braking any vibratory motion of the shaft.

16. A fan having a shaft with a propeller on one end and a rotor on the opposite end, a chamber in which the rotor operates and through one wall of which the shaft projects, a yieldable bearing for the shaft permitting lateral vibration of the latter during operation, means for frictionally resisting the, lateral vibration of the shaft, and means acting through the resisting means for positively limiting the lateral movement of the shaft against chattering contact with the chamber wall.

ERWIN C. HORTON. 

